Chapter 18: Fleet action

It was a year after the attack on the Dentian queen that I finally left. Captain McCartney was headed out to take over a Marauder company and top sergeant Ambrosia was going with her. I was headed for the fleet academy after accepting a transfer into fleet for a six month ship handling course and then out to take over the carrier Honor.

I brushed the cuff rings on my dress uniform and nodded to my aid. Lieutenant Jenks grinned before heading for the hatch. He stopped to let me go out first and the bosan’s pipes sounded as I heard the ship called to attention. I walked down and stepped onto the deck before saluting the ship’s crest and then the colonel that wore the ship captain’s braid, “permission to come aboard.”

This was not normal ship procedure for me but since my promotion to admiral I had learned to accept it. The colonel returned my salute, “permission granted.”

He turned to walk with me as I crossed to fleet admiral Sinclare. I saluted and she returned it before turning to face the men still at attention, “Your crew admiral.”

We had learned long ago not to over extend the crews patients. I smiled and gave a short speech before dismissing them. I looked at admiral Sinclare and she grinned, “not to bad Author.”

I grinned, “thanks.”

She gestured and we started for the distant hatch, “actually I needed to speak with you.”

I glanced at her, “that bad already?”

She shook her head, “Admiral’s Day and Delgot both had emergencies and admiral Telis was reassigned out of her rotation. That left me with admiral Michaels but he was just promoted off the list and is heading out as we speak.”

She looked at me, “that leaves me with you as the only other admiral in third fleet until I get replacements.”

I nodded to a squad of soldiers as they came to attention, “you expecting action?”

She smiled, “no but we are in route to Deablo and there has been little heard out of the system. On top of that you seem to attract trouble.”

I grinned, “this time I am safe aboard ship.”

She snorted and then laughed, “that is what worries me.”

Her unmeant words of prediction came true not long after the fleet jumped into Deablo. Admiral Sinclare was aboard the battleship Douglas when the unpowered Spider fleet fired massive volleys of missiles and ship killers. I was on the bridge standing beside the captain as he jerked to his feet, “GENERAL QUARTER!”

I remember reading a memo on a new ship installation, “Ensign Davis please activate the gravity shield generators and bring them to full power.”

The captain looked at me and then grinned as I turned and opened my comm, “Flight ... get the ready squadron out.”

There was a gasp and I looked back to see the Douglas explode. I spun and started for CIC, “comm ... switch to fleet command. I want all gravity shield generators on and at full power. Bring the cruisers and destroyers to the left flank. All ships are to fire at will.”

I walked into the noisy CIC, “Log comm ... get the support ships back and away.”

I moved to my chair as the ship shook from impacts of the grav shield, “Nav ... plot a course to break contact.”

I brought up all my holo displays, “Tactics ... find their command ship and concentrate fire on it.”

I look at the busy section at the back of the room, “Damage control ... I need reports.”

A new display spray up and I took a moment to look at it before looking at the comm section, “get me a comm to fleet headquarters.”

Out of all the ships, we had lost the battleship, a pair of cruisers and three destroyers as well as a single corvette. Everyone else had remembered the new gravity shield generators. I sat back and tried to look calm, “flight.”

“Flight here.”

I glanced at the updating enemy ship information, “load heavy with comet missiles and put every bird you have out.”

“Aye sir!”

I leaned forward to touch a ship in the display, “comm ... tell the Horizon to pull back behind us.”

“We have the command ship sir!”

I slid out of my chair and stepped up to the huge holo tank, “all ships are to consider it the primary target.”

I turned as a thousand sparks swarmed out of the Honor and spread out and my comm came to life, “Admiral England?”

I sat and looked at the old fleet admiral in the holo, “we have lost the Douglas, two cruisers, three destroyers and a corvette. Fleet admiral Sinclare was aboard the Douglas when she was destroyed and I am in command. We face a single Spider nest fleet with support.”

I glanced at the center holo as several men cheered, “comm ... signal the fleet to switch to the two scorpion class battleships.”

I looked at the admiral as the carrier shook again, “the good news is the gravity shield generators work.”

He nodded as he worked a keyboard, “Second and Seventh are close and in transit. It will take less then a day for them to reach your system so hold on.”

I nodded and glanced at another display, “comm ... have the Tiger join Horizon. Tell their captains to expedite repairs.”

I looked at the admiral, “we better do more than stick them for this.”

He smiled, “I will let the emperor know you are pissed.”

The holo display vanished as one of the two enemy battleships exploded. I nodded, “Tactics ... get me a priority ship list. Comm ... relay to the fleet to switch to the last scorpion. Also get those two corvettes behind us.”

The battle raged for an hour as one by one we destroyed every ship. We lost another cruiser, a destroyer and two corvettes as well as thirty fighters before it ended. I sat back and looked at colonel Peters in the ships holo display, “set course for Deablo four.”

He nodded as I looked around, “comm ... send to all ship. Good job.”

I looked towards the nav section, “nav ... have the fleet match our course.”

I looked at the system holo display, “tactics ... get a few corvettes and destroyers out in front of us and tell them to keep their eyes open.”

I relaxed, “log comm ... have the support ships start searching for survivors.”

I glanced across the room as the CIC hatch opened and general Samuels walked in. I grinned and waved and he crossed to me, “our turn?”

I nodded, “more than likely the spiders have invaded Deablo four. I will need an ops plan as soon as you have it.”

He nodded, “how bad did we get hit?”

I looked at damage control, “we lost the Douglas, three cruisers, four destroyers and three corvettes.”

I looked at him, “we also lost thirty fighters.”

He nodded, “it could have been a lot worse if we did not have those new gravity shield generators.”

I gestured, “get me a battle plan.”

He headed for the hatch and I glanced at my aid, “Lieutenant Jenks ... please send refreshments to the squadrons with my thanks.”

He grinned and turned to his comm as I looked at after action reports pouring in from damaged ships. I glanced at the data flowing in from the other ships, “Scan ... have the forward screen light up every planet, moon and asteroid between here and Deablo four. I want everything mapped before we get close enough for missiles to fire at us.”